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We know that feedback for students is very important in continuing their path towards mastery of skills and concepts. In fact, John Hattie rates it in his top 10 most influential factors on student achievement. Unfortunately, giving detailed feedback can be time consuming and difficult to organize. Canvas can help!

The Old Fashioned Way

When your students submit work to you in the traditional way (i.e. on paper or in-class performances), you are pretty limited in the modes of feedback that you can give them. You can write on their work, highlight, underline, and annotate. On Infinite Campus you are limited to giving students a score and a comment. You could sit down and chat with each student in person, at the expense of face-to-face time with your entire class. There must be a better way!

Meet the SpeedGrader

Using the SpeedGrader in Canvas you can write/comment anywhere on their work, use click-able rubrics, create typed comments, or even leave them voice or video comments. The SpeedGrader can be used on your MacBook or using the iPad app. Here is a quick look at what grading looks like using SpeedGrader.

Giving feedback is only half the battle. Students need feedback that they can act on and need to be taught how to use it. Double-check that they are viewing the feedback. Canvas just released a feature that lets you see when a student has viewed your feedback (see screenshot below).

Staying Organized

If you teach in multiple classes, prep in another room, and often are taking work home to grade, you know how difficult it can be to keep organized. Digital submission of assignments makes it easier for you to access your student’s work wherever you are. You can view submissions for one section in your course and each submission is tied to a student name. No more “no name” papers! And students can turn in the assignment when it is done rather than we they see you next. Digital submissions help students know they have turned something in and see their feedback as soon as you are able to grade it. Digital submissions help teachers and students stay organized without shuffling papers or turn-in baskets. Win-win!